7 Day Rwanda Gorilla Tracking Tour with Chimpanzee & Wildlife Safari

A 7 Day Rwanda Gorilla Tracking Tour with Chimpanzee & Wildlife Safari for those interested in seeing primates. It will take you to the Kigali Memorial Genocide, trek gorillas in the Volcanoes, track golden monkeys, view wildlife, and also track chimps.

Day 1: Arrival in Kigali, Rwanda

Upon arrival at Kanombe Airport in Kigali, the tour guide will drive you to your Hotel, where you will dine and slumber. Dinner and sleep at Hotel in Kigali City.

Day 2: Kigali City tour

Following breakfast, take a city tour and visit the Kigali Memorial Genocide Centre, which exhibits Rwanda’s history of the genocide through video presentations, photographs, written accounts, crafts, personal testimonies, and exhibitions. The exhibition shows a section referred to as wasted lives, which refers to the genocides plus holocausts in Southwestern Africa, Bosnia, Armenia and Cambodia. After your lunch, drive to Volcanoes National Park to trek gorillas.

Accommodations: Budget Kinigi Guest House, Midrange: La Palme, Luxury Mountain gorilla view Lodge, Super luxury Sabinyo Silverback Lodge (FB)

Day 3: Gorilla Trekking Experience.

Gorilla trekking is usually a highlight of every African safari. Parc National des Volcans offers the best location in Africa to trek these uncommon yet fascinating mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei). The Park sits on Rwanda’s border with DR Congo and Uganda. This mountain chain features seven volcanoes, with Karisimbi standing as the highest at over 4,500 meters.

The slopes covered with bamboo and rainforest vegetation are home to some of the last surviving mountain gorillas, which were first studied comprehensively by George Schaller and, more recently, by Dian Fossey, who conducted her study there for 13 years until she died mysteriously at Bisoke.

Without her persistent efforts to fight gorilla poaching, Rwanda might have no gorillas left today (you can read her book, Gorillas in the Mist). Four habituated gorilla families live within Parc National des Volcans, including the Susa Group, which has 35 individuals. The other gorilla families are: the Sabinyo has 13 individuals, the Amahura has 16 individuals, and Group 13 has only 6.

Each gorilla family can host up to 8 visitors daily, with 32 permits available. Finding them is generally straightforward. After your gorilla tracking experience, return to your Hotel to relax.

Day 4: Golden Monkey Trekking

After breakfast, drive to Gisenyi to trek the golden monkeys. After lunch, enjoy a community walk to interact with residents, who may even entertain you with cultural dances. You may choose to observe the locals brewing local beer from yellow bananas.

Accommodation: Paradise Malahide Hotel or Serena Hotel (FB)

Day 5: Transfer to Lake Kivu for another Adventure

After breakfast, drive to Lake Kivu for a boat ride around the Virgin Islands, like Napoleon’s Hat Island, where you can ascend to the peak of the hat to view the thousands of Angola bats in the blue skies. Following lunch, continue to Butare, the intellectual centre of Rwanda, to visit the national university, the Institute of Scientific Research, and the national museum.

Day 6: Nyungwe Forest- Night at Gisakura Lodge

Nyungwe Forest is among the most well-protected montane rainforests in Africa. It covers an area of 970 sq km. It offers breathtaking scenery overlooking the forest and Lake Kivu, as well as sights to the north of the faraway volcanoes in Parc National des Virunga.

The primary attraction here is the guided tours to track large troops of black-and-white Angolan Colobus monkeys (which may have as many as 400 members) or even chimpanzees. Roughly, there are 270 species of trees, more than 70 species of mammals, 275 species of birds, plus a profusion of orchids as well as butterflies. Dine and slumber at Gisakura Lodge

Day 7: Chimpanzee Trekking Safari in Rwanda

After breakfast, proceed with chimpanzee trekking within the Nyungwe forest. This forest is home to large chimpanzee troops, comparable to those in Uganda’s Kibale Forest National Park.

The L’Hoest’s monkeys, plus the white Angolan Colobus monkeys, make primate tourism in this forest equivalent to none other in Africa. After lunch, drive to Nyanza, the historic seat of Rwanda’s long-ago kings.

Visit this palace and listen to the traditional storytelling done by village elders. Actually, the Intore dancers, who gained a reputation at the international cultural expo held in Brussels back in 1958, are now part of Rwanda’s great legends.

This warrior’s dance is a gem of the country’s choreographic heritage. The dancers wear lion manes, sisal fibre, and ankle bells, performing to an angelic choir and an exciting rhythm. We can organise this cultural dance upon your request. Dine and sleep at Hotel Ibis.

Day 8: Return to Kigali

After breakfast, drive to Kigali, then transfer to the airport for your departure flight.